Phillip Farmer

U.S. Army / TN Air National Guard 1968 – 1974 & 1980 – 2005

Phillip Farmer was born on Oct. 6, 1949, in Memphis, Tennessee. He grew up in Covington where he graduated from Byars Hall High School in 1967. During the height of the Vietnam conflict in 1968, Phillip voluntarily joined the Tennessee Air National Guard 164th Military Airlift Command at Memphis International Airport.

In 1974, Phillip took a break from the military to concentrate on his civilian career. In September 1980, he joined the 4th/117th Infantry Company of the Tennessee Army National Guard in Covington. He was mobilized in August 2002 to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for further assignment to Fort Monroe, Virginia, for Operation Noble Eagle (ONE). ONE was the designation given to all North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) warning, control, and defense missions in North America. Through ONE, NORAD deterred, detected, and defeated potential threats to both U.S. and Canadian airspace 24/7/365.

A diligent and conscientious Airman and Soldier, Sergeant Farmer was recognized by being nominated and accepted into numerous training programs: the Tennessee Military Academy at Smyrna, TN; the Army Reserve School; the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; and the Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, VA. He retired from the 3/115th Battery “B” Field Artillery Battalion in Covington, TN, on Sept. 30, 2005.

For his service to our country, Phillip was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, seven Good Conduct Medals, Army National Guard Achievement Medal, three National Defense Service Medals, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (National Guard), three Army Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, and Air Force Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon. He received an additional three Tennessee National Guard (TNG) awards: a TNG Achievement Ribbon, a TNG Service Ribbon, and a TNG Volunteer Service Ribbon.

Phillip worked for both Federal Express Corporation and the United States Postal Service. His community volunteer service includes, but is not limited to the Brighton Baptist Church Cemetery Committee, coordinating all aspects of funeral operations, and Brighton Baptist Men’s Sunday School Class treasurer.

A dedicated family man, Phillip married the former Ms. Gwen Blalock of Brighton in July 1970. They have one daughter, Ms. Josette Nelson, of Oxford, Mississippi. He was nominated for Veteran of the Month by Robin Wallace, the May 2021 Veteran of the Month.